Over My Dead Body
by TheDarkCorner371
Summary: King Vegeta flexed his gloved fingers for what felt like the hundredth time, resisting the temptation to attack the creature in front of him. "He has your eyes", the monster commented with nonchalance. " However, the burgundy hue of his hair is purely his mother's. How has the Commander been?"


**Over my dead body**

King Vegeta flexed his gloved fingers for what felt like the hundredth time, resisting the temptation to attack the creature in front of him. How dared that... that monster do something like that? To take such a liberty?! No Saiyan would ever...

"He has your eyes", the creature commented with nonchalance. " However, the burgundy hue of his hair is purely his mother's. How has the Commander been?"

He knew. He had to. Maybe he was even responsible for it. The Commander of the Elite Army (his wife) had perished on a lonely planet, slaughtered with her whole squadron. Not many people in the universe could accomplish something like that. "She is well, thank you", he clippedly replied. Had the monster smirked? Hard to tell.

"I am glad to hear it", the creature murmured, as it turned back to look at the baby in his arms. King Vegeta had never seen his son being so still; it seemed Vegeta Jr knew he was in the presence of a formidable predator and did not want to displease it. Or he might be simply curious of the tremendous power the being holding him was emanating. Serious dark eyes frowned as they studied the white hand slowly caressing his cheek, as if wondering what exactly it was doing. King Vegeta had to bite back a smile at his son no-nonsense reaction; so young and already so proud.

The monster must have noticed the affection in his eyes, there was no other explanation for why the other's smile suddenly became more wicked and the creature raised its index in a gesture King Vegeta knew and dreaded. Energy started gathering on the tip of the finger. As fast as a snake, Prince Vegeta grabbed the appendage and held it close to his face. A shocked silence followed; when the King dared to look at the tyrant's face and saw that he was grinning, he felt cold.

Vegeta seemed not to know what to do with the finger once he'd caught it, observing it with his small mouth slightly open, as if considering... King Vegeta could only stare in complete dread as his baby attempted to fit the most powerful dictator in the universe's finger in his mouth. He was about to scream, to punch, to do _something_ when the tyrant started to laugh gaily. "Aren't you a brave little fellow?", it cooed at the baby, gently disentangling his digit from the small hand still holding it. Vegeta huffed and reluctantly let him go, having apparently decided that it was not worth a good cry. The King did not dare sigh in relief, not with that particular nutcase so close to his son. In the meanwhile, the Prince grew bored of the creature holding him and started to look around, taking in the sleek furniture of the spaceship that monster called its home. The other frowned at that and gently took the small chin between two fingers to return the child's gaze on him. "Well?", he drawled, "Are you already finished with our conversation?" Vegeta looked affronted that a commoner would take such a liberty and opened his mouth in what was surely going to be a very loud scream, when the tyrant started to tickle him under his chin. The squeal of laughter that followed took the royal Saiyan completely by surprise; he had no idea his son was capable of producing such a sound. The monster looked pleased, though, and went on to carefully tickle the baby for a while. Eventually, he sighed contently: "Such a lovely little thing." Vegeta was still giggling and grabbing at the tyrant's hand, trying to coax it into tickling him some more.

Someone politely cleared their throat and King Vegeta almost clapped with joy. An elegant green-haired man had suddenly appeared in the room. "Lord Freeza, there have been important developments on Planet Taurinus that require your attention", he murmured, while bowing in a precise fashion. The tyrant sighed tiredly. "Very well. Please Zarbon, accompany King Vegeta back to his ship. It is always a pleasure, Your Grace, I will speak with you at a later occasion." Lord Freeza started walking towards the door, a shocked Zarbon and an anguished King Vegeta looking at the cooing baby still held safely in his arms. The royal took a step forward but once again his intervention was not necessary. Zarbon coughed quietly and pointed with slight distaste at the child, who was now gazing at his braid with unmistakable covetousness. "Ah, my Lord, is the Prince going to be accompanying us?" Freeza stopped in his tracks, blinked and looked down at the baby. The tyrant was lost in his thoughts for a few seconds and then slowly shook his head. "Not yet", he conceded. He turned back to the King and started to walk towards him to return the child. Vegeta, seeing that the obviously interesting world outside that door was being denied to him, put up a fuss, desperately reaching towards an uncomfortable Zarbon. Freeza stopped, a wide smile blossoming on his face, and met the baby's angry glaze. "Do you know what is outside that door, my young Prince?", he asked. Vegeta growled at him. _Of course I don't!_ , he seemed to say, _That's why I want to go, I want to find out!_ The tyrant chuckled at the obvious answer and walked them to a window, deliberately ignoring King Vegeta's frustrated face.

"Outside that door, there's the world. A cruel place, my dear Prince, a cruel place indeed. Outside that door, there is envy, hate, wrath, pain..."

"Love", King Vegeta blurted out. He did not know why he said that, what prompted him to add something so stupid. His wife would have called him an idiot...

His wife was dead, slaughtered on an alien planet while on a routine mission. She had kissed baby Vegeta goodbye before getting in her pod, her smile as cocky as ever. She had merely winked at him, convinced they would see each other again very soon. He didn't even manage to tell her... just how much... Yes, Vegeta needed to know love existed as well.

Freeza frowned, launching him an annoyed look. "If you like", he drawled, before turning back to the child. "Only the strongest, those cruel and powerful enough to crush others under their feet, manage to survive. It's a very naughty world, my darling Prince, and you are not ready for it yet." He ended his speech in a cheerful tone, baby-talking to the child who was still glaring at him unconvinced. "Aw, come now Your Majesty, do not be upset. I am thoroughly convinced you will be ready very soon. And when you are", Freeza whispered in the baby's ear, as if revealing a great secret, "You will be all mine."

That said, he grudgingly handed the child back to his father and started to walk once again out of the room. "Have a safe journey home, Your Grace. Please look after my Prince and feel free to bring him along for the next report."

King Vegeta nodded, face expressionless, bowed and walked out of the cursed room, holding the small body of his son as close as possible, ignoring the baby's displeased grunts. _Your Prince?_ , he thought furiously as he marched towards his waiting bodyguards, _Over my dead body!_

 ** _Thank you for reading._**


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